Trade secrets of Tesla, Toyota and other automakers exposed in data leak

Automakers like Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen go to great lengths to keep their technical information confidential. Details about assembly line machinery and proprietary robotics are among the industry’s most closely guarded trade secrets.

But this month, a security researcher came across tens of thousands of sensitive corporate documents — including many from nearly all of the largest auto manufacturers — on the open internet, unprotected. The trove included material from more than 100 companies that had interacted with a small Canadian company, Level One Robotics and Controls.

Among the documents were detailed blueprints and factory schematics; client materials such as